Among patients with diabetes and stable ischemic heart disease, higher SYNTAX scores predict higher rates of major cardiovascular events and were associated with more favorable outcomes of revascularization compared with medical therapy among patients suitable for CABG. (Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation in Type 2 Diabetes; NCT00006305).

Background. Research has shown less aggressive treatment and poorer control of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in women than men. Methods. We analyzed sex differences in pharmacotherapy strategies and attainment of goals for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with type 2 diabetes and established coronary artery disease enrolled into the BARI 2D trial. Results. Similar numbers of drugs were prescribed in both women and men. Women were less frequent on metformin or sulfonylurea and more likely to take insulin and to be on higher doses of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) than men. After adjusting for baseline differences and treatment prescribed, women were less likely to achieve goals for HbA1c (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.57, 0.88) and LDL-C (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.53, 0.78). More antihypertensives were prescribed to women, and yet BP ≤ 130/80 mmHg did not differ by sex. Conclusions. Women entering the BARI 2D trial were as aggressively treated with drugs as men. Despite equivalent treatment, women less frequently met targets for HbA1c and LDL-C. Our findings suggest that there may be sex differences in response to drug therapies used to treat diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.

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An 83-year-old woman with history of hypertension treated chronically with verapamil 360 mg daily, presented with refractory hypokalemia and hypochloremic alkalosis. Initial physical examination demonstrated mild hypertension with proximal muscle weakness and normal cardiovascular exam.Initial workup revealed an a.m. cortisol level of 70 mcg/ dl (6-23), a 24-h urine-free cortisol of 5,719 lg (10-100), 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test that showed a morning cortisol level of 54.6 lg/dl, and ACTH level of 123 pg/ml (6-58).